Adding first plants to an aquarium...be gentle please!

I am currently cycling my tank for my axxie (she's in a separate tank) and feel that if I'm going to set the tank up, the time is now. My parameters were, yesterday, 0.25 ppm Ammonia, 0 Nitrite and 40 ppm Nitrate. I will keep testing it until it is consistently turning up perfect results before I add my wee girl.

Now, I thought I'd like to add some plants and I asked the exotics shop owner about them and asked for Java Moss. How best can I establish it, and is there anything I need to do? He suggested putting it near my driftwood and leaving it to root (or, if it won't, tie it to the driftwood with some cotton).

I also have some Mini Water Lettuce (he called it 'Floating Plants') which he gave me for free. Has anyone had experience with this? Is it axxie safe? He said that, to be honest, they float on the top so axxies generally don't bother with them, but I'm worried about when she comes up for a little air. They apparently absorb lots of nitrates though.
Here's a picture: "Dwarf" Water Lettuce with pictures

What do you guys think? Any advice for someone brand new to plants?

Oh, also: I bought new Aquarium Sand today and the guy advised me that coral sand (which I think mine may be; it's supposedly made from crushed oolites) puts PH up. It doesn't seem to have done that with mine (PH at last check was 7.4). Should I remove it or do you think it's safe?

Thanks for reading!

i have read people on here saying that crushed coral shouldn't be used (i don't know the reasons though) i have also been looking at the floating plants but wasn't sure so hopefully someone more in the know will answer your thread.

Thanks for having a look, anyway, Rach ^.^

Crushed coral sand isn't acceptable in most freshwater tanks. It will raise your pH, but slowly, not within a day.

Ooh. Thanks Kaysie, out it comes to be replaced by my lovely fine aquarium sand

I have mini water lettuce in my tank and really like it. Java moss on wood also has worked really well for me.

Oh, phew! Thanks Sharon! I really wanted to know if anyone else had used it with no problems. The chap assured me it was but I wondered if Tooth might start trying to eat it - the roots are actually really attractive, and I'm sure it's soaking up my nitrates a treat!

My guys just avoid it when the go to the top for air. It looks really nice in the tank and blocks some of the light. I like it.

They really seem to like moss balls, too. And I've had good luck with elodea (legal in WA) and anubia in pretty cool temps.

I'd like to get Tooth a moss ball. Beks told me about a supplier on Amazon who delivers them in good condition too

I'd heard most of the Anubis group is good, and nice to know Tooth won't be adding water lettuce to the menu anytime soon! Do your axxies play with their moss balls?

They climb on them and balance on them. They definitely spend a lot of time with the moss balls!

Speaking of moss balls...does anyone know any good ways of "splitting" them? I have one in a betta tank right now that's pretty big and I'd hate to remove it from the tank since it's the only thing absorbing any amount of waste right now, but I don't want to drop another $8 on one from a petstore (also sorry to hijack your thread!).

Cut it in half with a pair of scissors. Rotate regularly and the flat side should fill out.

Im hijacking the thread too sorry! Just i saw mentioned about crushed coral and i was actually going to go tomorow to get some!

So i dont know what happened but the tap water pH is now 7(was 7.6 two monthes ago) and i cant seem to get my tank pH over 6 now! There is nothing rotting in the tank. Ive done regular water changes. The tank is cycled last night water was 0 ammonia 0 nitrite and 20nitrAte with a pH of 6(or lower i dont know 6 is the lowest the test kit will read)

So i was advised to go get some crushed coral, put it in a stocking an just hang it in the tank, starting with a little and testing the water once or twice a day to keep an eye on pH till it is steady at a good level. Adding more coral as need be.

What is your opinion? I dont want to use chemicals because it is only temperary and this seems like a good way to "more permanently" raise the pH till i can figure out what is wrong with the water. I think they did something to the water because they shut it off one day with no warning and ever since it came back on the pH has been lower(but it was still like 7.2-7.4) it seems to just get lower and lower.

I know its not good as substrate and i will need to be very careful with it to make sure the pH doesnt get too high/spike but this acidic environment cannot be good for my lotls! It makes me sad

Should i be using like tea bathes or almond leaves for them till i get this rectified? Thats what my plan was just to soothe their skin i figure the water is going to slowly harm their slime coat right?

There is only ONE place in this whole city who sells crushed coral and they are only open part time. Mostly weekends!
So any advice till then/any advice on something other then coral if thats not good

Mortimer said:

They climb on them and balance on them. They definitely spend a lot of time with the moss balls!

Click to expand...

Sorry i just had to! I love this picture of texas!

Good to see some new discussions on here! Nice to know how to split a moss ball too - one day I'll probably be like, 'I need less of this...what was on that board again?'

Aww! Texas' colouring is beautiful! Lovely and bright. Got to love him having his Beckham moment too!
Not sure about getting your PH up. I can't see how putting coral sand in there would help keep it permanently up, especially when you do water changes, because your source water will change it again. You'd have to have it permanently suspended. If you monitor it well, I can't see it hurting your axxie. It'd be better than PH Up, which isn't meant to be safe for them. That's all the info I can offer I'm afraid
If their skins don't look obviously irritated, I'd just use cool, fresh water. I'd be a little worried a tea bath might stress them. If you want a little, apparently a few drops of black tea into the tank water can be beneficial (I always think of tea baths as being literally sponging them with a teabag, lol!). If you use Stress Coat + too it also helps rejuvenate the slime coat, and soothes their skins.

What i ment was like a more permanent solution then stupid chemicals like ph up and such. The only chemical i use is a dechlorinator and its just the dechlorinator nothing else and i refuse to use chemicals from a bottle. I have a nice
Biological filtration going and thats all i want.

I figured crushed coral will help slowly move the pH up to a safer level, and as long as i keep an eye on it and add more if necessary an such that it should help keep it at a normal level until i can figure out a actual permanent solution. Im hoping maybe they are treatin the water or something and it may go back to normal soon? I am crossing my fingers.

Ive also been half tempted to test my moms tap water since its a different system and if its higher start lugging gallons of water over!

I do think their skin is starting to flake a little. Its hard to tell because they fling sand all over the place and most of the time they have sand all over themselves and that sometimes looks like flaking.
Its one problem after the other i swear! First my tank crahed and now my pH crashed.

Im just wondering what else could lower the pH since the tap water is 7 and my tank is 6. I tried water changes and it didnt budge it.

I guessed you probably weren't considering PH Up, I left it in there just to let anyone else with the same problem know that it's not safe for axxies (sometimes people find these posts and threads when they type questions into Google). I get nervous about chemicals too, I was so happy when someone from API confirmed that Stress Coat + WAS axxie safe. The things we worry about for our wee guys!

I can see why you might consider lugging water over from your mom's, but your own tap water is 7 and your tank is still 6. It may be something in the tank. There again, it might be worth trying. If it's quite alkaline, it might help to balance the acidity of your tank. I'd give the coral sand a go. It seems to be your only non-chemical option at the moment.

God, I know! I looked in on Tooth today and panicked because she has flat, light, tiny (miniscule) dots on her head. My partner had a look and laughed. Apparently it's the sand. She's obviously rooted through it and got some stuck to her head. >.<

Ahahah! I know its hilarious when they get sand all over themselves. It makes me chuckle.

I think its somethin in my tank but what?? Can algae do it? I dont have a algae problem but i do have algae in my tank.
If it is how do i get rid of the algae?
All i know is im going to be starting to cycle my 25gallon here soon(its all filled with water! Woo) hopefully i wont have such a hard time with this tank with cycling. Well i hope not anyways i have the sponge filter in my cycled 10gallon so when im ready in just moving it. *crosses fingers* and maybe start clean i i cant figure out thos pH thing soon. At least this time i will be watching everything i do to see if i can figure it out.
Grr who knew aquariums were so complex! I never had an aquarium before until my axies came along so i learn literally something new everyday still. Its actually pretty wonderful actually. Though the trips to the pet store are getting more and more expensive because i love spoiling my rats too now i get to spoil axies!

Just on the crushed coral thingy - I've kept some in a mesh bag inside my filter almost forever and find it helps to keep the PH stable.

That Dwarf water lettuce looks a lot like Frogbit, is it the same or just similar ?